The working alliance or the therapeutic alliance is the strongest predictor for the success of psychotherapy. The presentation explores the origins of these concepts and raises the question whether the working alliance can be applied to teaching and learning. Academics educators have already begun to do this. Their findings are presented which also inform us further about the use of the concept in psychotherapy. The ethical principles of the teacher student engagement are reviewed along with strategies for repairing strains and ruptures in the relationship. A relational model is explored based on the work of the noted educator Parker Palmer. Controversies around applying this important psychodynamic concept to teaching are also taken up.

CE